You want to form a company, and ZenBusiness keeps coming up. It is one of the most established formation platforms, and for a lot of owners it does the job well. But "form a company" is not one decision. It is the all-in price, what is actually bundled versus billed later, whether you can get an EIN without an SSN, how the renewals stack up, and whether the formed company can start moving money on day one. This post compares ZenBusiness and looch Start on each of those, honestly, including where ZenBusiness is the better pick.
Both are formation services. ZenBusiness, founded in 2017, is a Texas-based platform that forms LLCs and corporations and bundles ongoing compliance tools (source: zenbusiness.com). looch Start forms your entity and then onboards you into looch's financial accounts, so the same app that files your company is the one you bank and get paid from (source: looch.money/start).
What ZenBusiness is (and where it genuinely wins)
Where ZenBusiness is strong
ZenBusiness is built for a first-time, non-technical owner who wants the platform to carry the whole thing. That focus shows up in real ways.
Its ongoing compliance is bundled, not bolted on. Worry-Free Compliance runs $199 per year and handles your state annual report and amendment filings, and ZenBusiness states that if your business gets a state fine solely because they missed a covered filing deadline, they will pay it (source: zenbusiness.com). For an owner who does not want to track annual reports themselves, that is a legitimate reason to choose ZenBusiness.
It backs the work with guarantees. ZenBusiness advertises a 60-day money-back guarantee (you can cancel a subscription or add-on within 60 days for a refund, less any state or third-party fees, and filing fees are not refundable once documents are submitted to the government) and a 100% accuracy guarantee on the filing (source: zenbusiness.com). If something is filed wrong, they state they make it right at no extra cost.
Its support is established. As a platform operating since 2017 with a large customer base, ZenBusiness has mature, lifetime customer support across its plans (source: zenbusiness.com). For an owner who values being able to call someone, that track record matters.
It adds business tools beyond formation. ZenBusiness offers accounting and invoicing through its Money Pro product at $30 per month or $300 per year, with a built-in merchant account powered by Stripe for accepting cards and ACH on invoices and the ability to link your existing bank account for transaction tracking (source: zenbusiness.com). If you want a formation service that also nudges you toward bookkeeping, that breadth is real.
Its onboarding is friendly to non-technical owners. The guided, step-by-step flow and compliance alerts are designed for someone forming their first company, and that is a genuine strength.
Where ZenBusiness has gaps
The headline price is not the all-in price. Things a startup actually needs (the EIN, registered agent service, ongoing compliance) are frequently separate line items or auto-renewing add-ons rather than one flat number.
ZenBusiness lists formation starting at $0 plus state fees, but the all-in cost climbs once you add what a startup actually needs. By looch's published comparison, a ZenBusiness package comes to about $507 (source: looch.money/start). ZenBusiness does not publish a single $507 bundle; its own pages price the Pro plan at $199 per year and the Premium plan at $399 per year plus state fees, with the EIN charged separately as a one-time $99 fee (source: zenbusiness.com).
The renewals add up year over year. ZenBusiness registered agent service is $99 for the first year and renews at $199 per year (source: zenbusiness.com). On top of that, the compliance side renews separately: Worry-Free Compliance is $199 per year. So a startup keeping both an agent and bundled compliance is looking at roughly $199 plus $199 per year, which lines up with looch's comparison citing a registered agent renewal of about $199 per year plus an additional renewal of about $199 per year (source: looch.money/start).
S corp election is a separate step. looch's comparison indicates ZenBusiness S corp treatment is included within the first 30 days and then runs about $200 (source: looch.money/start). ZenBusiness's own pricing page currently lists S Corp filing starting at $0 plus state fees, so the published figures differ; treat the S corp cost as a separate line item to confirm at checkout rather than something bundled into the base formation (source: zenbusiness.com).
The formation does not hand you a financially operational company. ZenBusiness can point you to opening a bank account, but it is a formation and compliance platform first. Forming the entity, getting the EIN, opening accounts, and issuing cards are still distinct steps.
The gap ZenBusiness does not close: Formation straight into banking
Most formation services stop at "your company exists." That leaves the owner to go open accounts and issue cards somewhere else. looch closes formation, EIN, accounts, and cards into one app.
What looch Start includes
looch Start forms a VC-ready Delaware C corp, a Delaware LLC, a Wyoming LLC, or a Florida LLC for $249 all-in, with state filing fees included (source: looch.money/start). That is one number, not a base plan plus add-ons.
Filing takes one business day with the state (source: looch.money/start).
The EIN is included, even if you do not have an SSN or an ITIN. That path takes approximately four days and you receive the IRS CP-575 (source: looch.money/start). This is the part many formation services cannot do for a foreign founder, and ZenBusiness typically charges for the EIN as a separate item even when it can obtain one.
Formation includes the documents a VC will ask for: a stock purchase agreement, an IP assignment agreement, and a Section 83(b) election draft (source: looch.money/start). A single-member LLC operating agreement is included too. S corp election can be made any time, in-app, at no cost (source: looch.money/start).
Registered agent and virtual office renew at $49 per year (source: looch.money/start). That is the renewal line where looch is most clearly cheaper than ZenBusiness over time.
A note on privacy. Delaware and Wyoming keep your name off public records. Florida makes the manager name public, so choose the state with privacy in mind. See the Florida LLC guide for what is public there.
What opens up after formation
Once the entity is formed, looch onboards you into no-fee financial accounts, issues Smartcards, accepts payments, and runs real-time accounting in the background, all in the same app (source: looch.money). looch is a financial technology company, not a bank. Account services are provided in partnership with Stripe, with funds held at Fifth Third Bank N.A., Member FDIC (source: looch.money). See looch pricing for current payment and account terms.
looch Start vs ZenBusiness: A side-by-side comparison
| Feature | looch Start | ZenBusiness |
|---|---|---|
| All-in formation price | $249 all-in, state filing included (source: looch.money/start) | Starts at $0 + state fees; Pro $199/yr, Premium $399/yr; about $507 all-in by looch's comparison (sources: zenbusiness.com, looch.money/start) |
| EIN | Included, even without SSN/ITIN, ~4 days, IRS CP-575 (source: looch.money/start) | Charged separately, one-time $99 (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Filing speed | 1 business day (source: looch.money/start) | Standard filing is slower; $79 Fast Filing upgrade, and Pro/Premium include rush 1-day processing (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Registered agent renewal | $49/year (source: looch.money/start) | $99 first year, then $199/year (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Additional yearly renewal | None beyond the $49 RA/virtual office (source: looch.money/start) | Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199/year on top of the agent (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Virtual office | Included, renews $49/year (source: looch.money/start) | Not offered (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| S corp election | Any time, in-app, no cost (source: looch.money/start) | S Corp filing listed at $0 + state fees on zenbusiness.com; looch's comparison cites included within 30 days then about $200 (sources: zenbusiness.com, looch.money/start) |
| VC-ready docs | Included: stock purchase agreement, IP assignment, 83(b) draft (source: looch.money/start) | Not a stated focus; offers general business document templates on Pro/Premium (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Entity options | DE C corp, DE LLC, WY LLC, FL LLC (source: looch.money/start) | LLC, C corp, and S corp filing (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Privacy | DE/WY keep your name off public records; FL makes manager name public (source: looch.money/start) | No virtual office; privacy depends on registered agent service (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Mobile | Mobile-first app, formation through banking (source: looch.money) | Mobile app with dashboard, compliance alerts, support, and Velo AI assistant (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Ongoing compliance guarantee | Not a bundled worry-free guarantee | Worry-Free Compliance ($199/yr); pays the state fine if a covered deadline is missed (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Money-back guarantee | Refund terms not published on looch.money/start; confirm current terms at checkout | 60-day money-back guarantee, less state and third-party fees; filing fees not refundable once submitted (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Accounting / invoicing | Real-time accounting built in after formation (source: looch.money) | Money Pro at $30/mo or $300/yr, Stripe-powered (source: zenbusiness.com) |
| Path into financial accounts | Onboards into no-fee accounts, Smartcards, payments in-app (source: looch.money) | Can point to opening a bank account; not a banking platform |
Some of this favors ZenBusiness. The bundled compliance guarantee, the money-back guarantee, the established support, and the optional accounting tools are real reasons to pick it. The table does not hide that.
Who should use ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is the right call if:
- You are a first-time, non-technical owner who wants a guided platform to carry the whole formation
- You value a bundled compliance guarantee that refunds the fee if a covered deadline is missed
- A 60-day money-back guarantee (less state and third-party fees) and a 100% accuracy guarantee on the filing are important to you (source: zenbusiness.com)
- You want established, lifetime customer support from a platform with a long track record
- You want optional accounting and invoicing tools (Money Pro) attached to the same dashboard
If that is you, ZenBusiness is a legitimate, mature product and a reasonable choice. This post is not arguing otherwise.
Who should use looch Start
looch Start is the right call if:
- You want the lowest all-in price with no separate EIN charge and no stacked yearly renewals beyond a $49 registered agent and virtual office
- You are a foreign founder who needs an EIN without an SSN or ITIN, handled inside the same flow
- You are raising or plan to raise, and you want VC-ready documents (stock purchase agreement, IP assignment, 83(b) draft) included
- You want a mobile-first flow that goes from formation straight into no-fee financial accounts, Smartcards, payments, and real-time accounting
- You want formation and banking in one app instead of a formation platform plus a separate bank application
The core difference is scope. ZenBusiness is a formation and compliance platform. looch Start is a formation-to-banking platform. If you want the company and the financial stack built in one place, looch covers more of that path.
The honest decision framework
Four questions that settle it fast.
1. Do you need the company and a working financial stack in one app? Yes: form with looch Start and onboard into your accounts in the same flow. No, you just need the entity formed and monitored: ZenBusiness is worth a look.
2. Do you need an EIN without an SSN or ITIN? looch gets your EIN even without an SSN or ITIN, in about four days, with the CP-575 (source: looch.money/start). ZenBusiness charges for the EIN separately as a one-time $99 fee (source: zenbusiness.com).
3. How much do the renewals matter to you over time? looch renews registered agent and virtual office at $49 per year (source: looch.money/start). ZenBusiness renewals stack higher year over year: registered agent runs $99 the first year and $199 per year after that, and Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199 per year on top (source: zenbusiness.com).
4. Do you value a bundled compliance guarantee and money-back guarantee above all? If a Worry-Free Compliance guarantee ($199/year, which pays the state fine if a covered deadline is missed) and a 60-day refund window are what make you comfortable, that favors ZenBusiness today (source: zenbusiness.com).
Bottom line
ZenBusiness is a strong, established choice for an owner who wants a guided formation with bundled compliance guarantees and optional accounting tools. looch Start is the better choice when you want the lowest all-in price, an EIN even without an SSN, VC-ready documents included, and a mobile-first path that turns a freshly formed company into a financially operational one in the same app.
Ready to go from idea to a financially operational company? looch Start forms your entity and opens your accounts in one app, $249 all-in, state filing included. Compare current terms on looch pricing, or read the Florida LLC guide if privacy by state is part of your decision.
